


Year of the Dragon

by Polarbaroness (MaryTheMango)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: First Person, Gen, Humor, Modern Girl in Thedas, another dragon fic because I'm incapable of writing anything else it seems, what are tenses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-19 13:45:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11314635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryTheMango/pseuds/Polarbaroness
Summary: Modern Girl wakes up in Thedas as a dragon. This is her story.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Literally just self indulgent silliness. I can't stop writing about dragons, so... Have this, I guess?
> 
> Also known as: By All Known Laws of Aviation, a Dragon Should Not Be Able To Fly.(Bee Movie but With Dragons)

 

Recollection #1

 

Waking up is the worst part of the morning, in my opinion.

You get stuck in that state when you feel like a walking corpse with a mouth dry enough to start  
a fire in. Then there’s the dragon breath, that unholy stink powerful enough to make you wonder exactly where you put your mouth last night. This morning, my dragon breath was a bit different.

I woke up with an absolutely terrible migraine. It was the kind of migraine that made you honestly consider offing yourself- it pulsed behind my eyes, like something was trying to dig out from behind them. I’d never had one that bad, honestly. It was completely out of the blue, too. I hadn’t been drinking- I was out camping in Skyline Drive with my friends, who I couldn’t help but notice were completely silent. In fact, there was no sound whatsoever, besides the bird song and the wind through the trees. No rustling of nylon or whatever tents were made of (I’m not a textile engineer, damnit), no gentle thump of the poorly tied ties. 

It didn’t take long after that realization to notice the (oddly muted)breeze wafting against my skin, leading me to the very obvious conclusion that I was Decidedly Not In The Tent, and also Extremely Naked. 

My eyes snapped open-not the most pleasant thing with a migraine- and closed again almost instantly.  
I was naked, not in my tent, and very, very high up. 

I very nearly screamed, but thankfully stopped myself before I aggravated my migraine. Instead, I produced what sounded like an aborted growl. 

Now, I don’t think I need to remind you that, with the exception of death metal frontmen, humans don’t growl. Not like what I did. It was a deep, guttural growl, the kind that activated the flight instincts in any sane animal. I don’t think I’m a death metal frontman, nor do I remember seeing any in the forest, so I was uncertain where it came from. Well, I was pretty sure I knew where it came from, since I felt it build in my chest like a swarm of very agitated bees, but as established earlier, I am not a death metal frontman. Perhaps my migraine was causing hallucinations? I’d never had a hallucination like that before. Not while I was on my meds, at least. And I definitely was. On meds, that is. Probably hallucinating, too, but it felt real enough to create that little seed of doubt.

So, like any sane person with a migraine, naked and probably up in a tree, I decided to collect more data. The migraine made that a daunting proposal, but I definitely could not stay either naked or in a tree, where I might fall at any moment. The fear of falling motivated me enough to fight past the migraine and force open my eyes.

Not recommended, I must say. After adjusting to the bright sun, my head pounding like a rather persistent door to door salesman, I looked down. I was still very high up, but I didn’t see a tree limb under me. I didn’t feel one, either. According to my nerve endings, a large portion of my body was, in fact, touching the ground. The immediate visceral relief I felt at this was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that something was very wrong. I wasn’t in a tree, but I was still high up- I glanced around but didn’t see a cliff or any sort of platform. The trees, instead of the bright reds of autumn, were the dark green of summer. The tree makeup was different, too- instead of mostly deciduous trees, evergreens populated the forest. 

At this point my hypothesis moved to coma. I had never been in a coma before so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but in all the media I had seen once you realize you’re in a coma you wake up. (I recognized, deep down, that’s not how that works, but I needed to try to be SOMEWHAT grounded in reality.) So why wasn’t I waking up? I lifted a surprisingly heavy hand to my face to rub my temple and completely misjudged the dimensions of my own face, poking my (thankfully closed) eye with a wickedly sharp claw. So, I had claws, I guess.(It was at this point my hindbrain realized what my rational forebrain was rejecting with all its might. Probably took me long enough.) I was taking this surprisingly well, for probably being in a coma. I could definitely feel the panic rising, but maybe my anxiety took pity on poor coma-me and decided to fart off for a little bit. 

Maybe I was drugged? Was this what an acid trip was like? I’d never done acid, or anything harder than some shitty week old weed out of an apple bong behind my neighbor’s house. I was pretty certain not even the shittiest of weed could do something like this. (The best weed? How do people judge drugs?) I don’t even think acid could do it, but as established before, I’ve never actually done it, so what do I know? This was a completely new scenario.

At this point, probably my brain taking pity on itself, my migraine died down to a manageable headache. I decided to try moving, and carefully stood up. My balance was off, and I seemed to be unable to get off my hands and knees. I felt a bit like a newborn foal, my legs splayed wide to keep my balance, my tail flailing to help keep me upright. (Yeah, not thinking about that right now, my “logical” brain thought.) I rolled my shoulders and arched my back, and felt muscles I didn’t have before contract, which by the way is possibly the freakiest experience ever. Something- not an arm, not a leg (WING, my hindbrain shouted before being wrestled to the ground by Logical Thought) stretched wide and hit a tree, which, by the way, is Very Unpleasant. I absolutely do not recommend it. It’s like stubbing your toe on your grandma’s antique solid oak dresser. I recoiled and felt my tail hit a tree, bowling it over with a loud crack. 

All of the symptoms (Signs? What’s the terminology here?) pointed to me being a dragon, which, my logical brain was quick to smugly point out, meant I was in a coma, since dragons don’t exist.  
Ok, cool. I could deal with being a dragon in a coma. Better than just being a boring old human in a coma, I guessed. Like I said before, I thought you woke up when you realized you were in a coma. Maybe it was a super coma? Or maybe everything I knew about comas was wrong? Either was likely, being that I’m a field biologist and not a doctor. (My gut instinct posited a third option, where I was ACTUALLY a dragon, somehow. This didn’t seem too likely, since dragons don’t exist.)

My stomach growled rather suddenly. I was extremely hungry, and as I looked around, I noticed my rations disappeared with the rest of my stuff. They probably wouldn’t have been sufficient for Coma Dragon Biology anyway.

You may remember from History or Mythology or whatever that dragons are rather notorious for eating livestock. I glanced around and saw absolutely no cows wandering the woods, and I was pretty certain I couldn’t sneak up on anything at this size. I needed something large, filling and immobile.

Yeah. I was gonna eat a tree. Multiple trees, in fact. Deer can eat trees, I reasoned, and I might be an herbivorous dragon? It didn’t seem very appetizing, to be quite honest, but there was no way in hell I’d raid a village in my own coma. If there were any. I’d rather not be coma-slain by a coma-knight, so I figured trees were my safest bet. Pine trees smell nice, so I figured they’d taste nice, too. I whacked a pine with my (rather handy) tail until it fell, and examined it for woodland creatures. Once I was satisfied there were none, I got to work. 

In case you’re reading this and wondering how one even eats a tree, here’s some advice- start from the top. The top leaves/needles are softer. Eat the needles/leaves first before you go to the actual tree itself. The bark is nutritious but rather dry, and the heartwood is just way too hard to eat unless you’re a beaver.  
Trees will never taste good, even in a coma. Despite its pleasant smell, pine is absolutely disgusting. Just stick with eating the needles, but be sure that you chew them well or they’ll get stuck in your throat. The wood isn’t worth the sap. 

Once I had finished, I had eaten approximately 10 pines, 10 oaks, 20 elms, and 10 of some unknown tree worth of leaves and bark. I had cleared quite the area. Probably the size of a village. The trees scattered everywhere didn’t sit well with me, so I sorted them by type into little piles. (Dragon size and strength is super handy.) My headache had finally faded, but the sun was now high in the sky. Probably noon, if coma time was similar to real life time. 

I stretched out in my new clearing, absorbing the sunlight and growing sleepy. Perhaps a nice rest was what I needed to digest that huge meal. Yes, I decided a nap was in order and made myself comfortable, lulled to sleep by the forest’s song. 

 

 

When I woke it was night, and I was seeing perhaps the trippiest shit I’ve ever seen. Everything was various shades of red, yellow, and white. I could see a small creature dashing through the underbrush. I realized it was heat vision right away, since the trees were definitely not as “bright” as the heat signature of whatever bolted past me.I was pretty happy with this realization- I'd always wanted heat vision. It seemed very handy for running around in the dark, which I really quite enjoyed doing. 

I wasn't hungry upon waking, which was really nice, because even with heat vision I'm not confident in my hunting skills. Instead, I felt the urge to fly. 

Flying creatures make flying look easy. I thought you could just...Flap your wings and be off. No, that wasn't quite right. It was more like... Sprinting, but upwards? I had to apply a lot of push to my wings to do anything, and even then it only lifted me a little bit off the ground before I landed with a loud "boom". I wanted to try again, of course, and this time jumped at the same time as I flapped my wings. I got above the tree tops before I realized I didn't know what to do afterwards and promptly crashed to the ground. 

Multiple false starts later, I felt like I had finally gotten the technique down- jump and flap, never stop flapping. I'd like to say I was majestic as I rose into the sky, but that would be a lie. I was very much like someone who had never flown before, which was fairly fitting, since I never had. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself for figuring it out so quickly. I looked down at "my" forest, most of it felled by the powerful beats of my wings, and noticed my nice little piles were no longer neatly stacked. I was honestly quite upset with this, but also I was FLYING, so it's not like I was about to land and stack them back up.

High in the sky, I was finally able to see my surroundings. The mountains were pointier than the ones back home- newer, perhaps?- and still covered with snow. I supposed it was pretty chilly, but it didn't really bother me. As I climbed in height, spiralling upwards, water began to condense on my scales. I probably looked pretty damn cool, not to brag. 

Finally, I reached coasting height and let my wings rest, gliding around the mountains. It's an undescribable feeling, honestly. You feel weightless and powerful simultaneously. I was so distracted doing tricks and just generally having the time of my life it took a while to register there were two moons in the sky. Once I realized that rather odd fact, I'm not proud to say I panicked and began falling to the ground. No amount of flapping could stop my free fall, so I just stuck out my legs and hoped dragon bones were dense.

Thankfully for me they are. I landed with a jarring crash, the impact resonating from my legs straight to my spine and head. I hurt, in ways I wasn't sure I could hurt. If I hurt the way I did in my human body, I'd probably be dead. 

When the dust settled I opened my eyes. My poor trees were crushed under me, splinters lodged under my scales and in the leather of my wings. It was probably the least pleasant experience I've ever had. How was I gonna pull the splinters out? I shifted my weight off one foot and felt pain shoot up my leg. OK, maybe not as intact as I thought I was. Maybe broken? Jammed? Fractured? I wasn't sure. It hurt, that's all I really knew. 

I needed to get it looked at. Were there even dragon vets? Dragons were considered a pest species, I'm pretty sure, considering all the burning of villages. I'd just have to tough it out and hope it didn't heal funky, I guessed. Honestly not the most ideal situation, but I couldn't think of anything else. (It didn't escape my notice that I was injured in what I thought was a coma, which, looking back on it, probably should have been an indication that it was not a coma. I guess hindsight is 20/20.)

My good mood now completely decimated, I gingerly adjusted myself to put the least amount of pressure on my injured leg and attempted to sleep. It wasn't like there was much else to do at that point. 


	2. Day two: Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typed on my phone, please excuse any errors.

Waking up the next morning..Well, it certainly was an experience.

I hadn't slept much due to the sheer pain my foot was in. I examined it again- no bone shards poking out, which was nice. Some of the scales had been chipped off, while some were stuck in odd positions- both were extremely uncomfortable, the stuck scales maybe even more than the missing ones.There was a large shard of wood stuck in the sole, icing on the cake that was my broken(? Maybe, it hurt but I'd never had a broken foot before to reference..) foot. I decided I needed to get the wood out of my foot first so it didn't get infected- even in a coma, infection isn't a pretty thing. And who knew, maybe it was the worst case scenario and I actually wasn't in a coma. Better safe than sorry.

I tried to remember how my cat had sat, back home. He usually leaned against something like a wall because he was too fat to do anything normally- I figured this would be the way to go, since I didn't want to put pressure on my foot or anything. So I found the sturdiest looking tree and hopped over to it, my injured leg pulled up against my stomach. It was pretty handy, I supposed, having four limbs to stand on instead of two. If one got injured, at least you were somewhat stable.

I'd really like to say I sat down gracefully, but honestly, it was more of a flop to the ground, butt first, injured leg kept as far from the ground as possible. Of course, once I sat down, I realized I didn't really have knee joints where they were supposed to be anymore, so I couldn't get my foot closer to me. I whined in frustration at my misfortune. Being human was great. You got opposable thumbs and joints that could do just about anything. I missed being human. What's the point of being able to fly if you can't even move your own limbs? I flailed in frustration for a bit before slumping down, wood still firmly in my foot.

I was so caught up wallowing in self pity that I almost didn't hear the people approaching. They were definitely trying to be quiet, I'd give them that. Failing miserably, though. Even though they moved silently through the woods, they were given away by their low whispering conversation.

They sounded about twenty, a man and a woman, maybe? I didn't want to let them know I heard them, so I closed my eyes, trying to ignore my embarrassing position, and focused on their conversation.

"It's a dragon."

"I can see that, Ellana."

"A DRAGON!", "Ellana" just about shouted. She seemed pretty damn pumped, and not at all afraid.

"Keep your voice down! It'll hear us and attack!" Chastised the man. I could almost hear his blood pumping. He was nervous. To be fair, I would be, too, if I ran across a dragon in the woods.

"Why's it sitting like that?", Ellana spoke again. I liked Ellana. Instead of running away like a sensible person she wanted to stay and watch me. I can relate.

"Oh, I don't know! Does it matter? Let's get out of here-ELLANA!"

She was getting closer. I wondered if she was gonna wrassle me, like Steve Irwin. Killjoy (She hadn't said his name, and I needed a reference! I'm not creative, I can't keep calling him "The Man", that sounds too much like the police.)stayed put, mumbling something about "Reckless firsts" and being late? I wasn't too focused on him, since Ellana was, in fact, right beside me.

At this point I opened one eye, looking down at her. She was TINY but so emotive, gesticulating wildly at Killjoy to come join her. "I think it's dead! Or injured." She didn't bother whispering this time, convinced I was out for the count. I was honestly a bit concerned at this point- for her, not for me. The only weapon she carried on her was a long wooden staff. If I was a Real Dragon, she'd be dead. Of course, if I was a real dragon, I wouldn't have gotten into this predicament.

I decided I was tired of pretending to be asleep, and leaned my head down towards her. Killjoy, who was in the process of coming over, turned an amusing shade of white and froze. Ellana froze, too, which wasn't the best survival tip. Usually you're supposed to turn tail and run, or start smacking. I think she needed retraining.

Since I didn't want to get hit with that rather pointy looking stick, I went the route that seemed the safest- act nonthreatening. I sniffed at her, sort of like a horse does, hot breath included, then turned away to indicate disinterest.

At this point Killjoy had run away- possibly to get reinforcements. Ellana stayed right next to me- I wondered if I had killed her from pure fear before I heard her heart racing. OK, so not dead yet. That was good. I liked when people were not dead. I was curious about her appearance, besides just tiny. Her hair was tied back into a harsh braid, copper in the sunlight. I was honestly quite jealous of it. I had plain old boring brown hair when I was still a human. Two pointed ears stuck out from the sides of her head. If I hadn't been a dragon at this point, I probably would have been surprised, but if dragons exist why can't elves?

Her movement snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized I should probably get away soon so Killjoy's nickname didn't become literal. There was the problem with my leg, still, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to take off without hurting Ellana. So I tried to make contact.

I cleared my throat to get her attention- it frightened her, which worked, I guess. There wasn't any way to make a noise that wasn't absolutely terrifying. She didn't move the first time so I grunted instead, which prompted her to turn towards me. Granted, she did draw her weapon and backed up quite a bit, but that was alright, I supposed.

She looked familiar, now that I could see her face. It was marked with the vallaslin of Mythal, from Dragon Age, hiding freckles under green ink on high cheekbones. It suddenly hit where I recognized her from- I had created her. Well, decided her appearance in game. Played as her. This was my Lavellan. Coma or not, this was freaky, and I still didn't want to die, so I slowly rolled over onto my stomach,my injured leg splayed to the side, and laid my head on the ground, at eye level with her.

I held eye contact with her for approximately three seconds before blinking slowly. Did Thedas have cats? Would this be recognized as a friendly gesture? She seemed to appreciate it, since she relaxed the tiniest bit and stepped closer. I pointedly did not move even when she put a hand on my snout, which amazed her. I thought it was much like how I'd react if I didn't get straight up mauled by a lion after touching it.

She grew bolder and rubbed the scales on my face, very nearly climbing on me to do it. I could hear her muttering about this being a dream, how she'd need to write about it later. Her excitement died down when she realized I would very likely be killed by her clan, but then she began formulating plans. I think the best part was her talking to me like she knew I was sentient. Maybe she did.

"OK, I'm the First, so they'll listen to me. Hopefully. I'll tell them you won't eat them..", She paused and looked at me. "You won't eat them, will you?"  
I managed to make an offended sounding huff and she shrugged. "I'll take that as confirmation. You're injured, obviously. OK. You won't attack us if we help you?"  
I huffed again- Ellana held up her hands. "Ok, ok, just making sure. I think I can convince them to help you out. Take out that..wow, that hunk of wood is about as tall as me. How'd you manage that?"

I paused, and glanced around at the forest, prompting her to do the same. It seemed pretty obvious to me exactly what had happened, but then again, I was there for it, so maybe that wasn't fair. Either way there was quite a big crater where I had landed, and once she spotted it, she let out an understanding "Oh.."

There was a moment of silence between the two of us. "So...I don't know healing magic, but the Keeper does. I can tell your leg is hurt by how you're holding it.. We'll get that fixed up."

I tried for an appreciative sound, something like the chuff a tiger might make. It didn't seem to scare her away, so that was nice. Success number two.

"It'll be a while before my clan gets here. Is it ok if I just stay here?" I huffed- just about the only sound I could make, it seemed- and nudged her out of the way gently with my head, rolling onto my uninjured side to wait. My leg was throbbing now, and it was making it hard to be cordial. I wouldn't eat her, of course, but I didn't want to risk snapping at her.

She seemed to understand and took a seat on one of the many downed trees, facing the direction she had come from.


	3. Help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaha once again excuse my grammar and spacing, typed on a phone.
> 
> Blood mention in this chapter. Also a panic attack.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the reviews and kudos! I'm so thankful all of y'all like my story.
> 
> If you want more dragons, I'm currently working on another story called "Legate" which involves top secret spy dragons infiltrating the Inquisition.

Waiting with Ellana for the rest of her clan was quite nerve wracking. It was like waiting to meet your significant other's family, except you were a dragon and also the family might kill you. We sat in awkward silence as I pretended not to notice her eyes boring holes into my side and pondered the likelihood of dying at the hands of the clan. Clan Lavellan was fairly large, as clans go, but I was certain none of them had faced a dragon before. They had skilled hunters and mages, though, and I was weak with a possibly broken leg and splinters wedged between my scales, not to mention I'd only been a dragon for a day and barely knew how to move properly. In a fight, I'd be absolutely useless. At least Ellana would be on my side, though I really couldn't count on her turning against her clan. If it went wrong, I was screwed.

I felt my heart beat racing as I became more anxious. I didn't want to die yet! I still had flying to do and places to see. I hadn't even seen what I looked like! What if I looked absolutely ridiculous? I couldn't die and leave behind a silly looking corpse! Coma or not, dying was A Bad Thing, no matter what the depression said. I was spiraling into what felt like an anxiety attack; suddenly everything was too loud, too bright, too close. I must have been hyperventilating, because I felt light headed and woozy. Ellana was speaking but I couldn't understand a word she said in this state; she looked worried, and stood from her log to approach me.

I don't remember much from then on, just strangely clear flashes. A shout of anger, Ellana's voice, something hitting my scales, roaring in fear, and then absolute silence. I couldn't tell how long it was, but when I came back to reality, hiding behind one of my trusty piles of logs, they were still there. Ellana and Deshanna were deep in conversation, Ellana closer to me than the Keeper. Both sounded surprisingly civil and calm, voices kept low so I wouldn't hear them. I did anyways, of course.

"-Wild creature, Ellana! You're supposed to take my place as Keeper of the Clan, you can't just go around cavorting with wild animals!"  
I was slightly offended at that and very nearly huffed before Ellana interrupted.  
"She's not wild! She's injured and scared! Have you ever seen a dragon act like this?" I'll be honest, for a minute there I thought she had lifted my tail to get my sex before I remembered that only the lady dragons in Dragon Age have wings. I've never felt such relief. I wondered if I could get pants made, if I survived.

"She's probably ill, then, and we should put her out of her misery!" Deshanna just about yelled. I really didn't like that at all, so I stuck my face around the corner of the logpile (yay for long necks!) and attempted my best "not-amused" face with an accompanying huff.

Both elves turned around at that, and Ellana smiled brightly. "Oh, you're awake! See, she understood you! She knows Common!"  
Deshanna rolled her eyes, and I could suddenly see the family resemblance. "It's a coincidence, she woke up because you're getting too loud."

"I'M too loud??" Ellana yelled. I thought elves were respectful to the Keepers. Judging by the hunters squirming in their spots, exchanging nervous glances, this was a common occurrence. I didn't want the situation to escalate, so I tried clearing my throat.

About 15 arrows pointed at my face, but Ellana and Deshanna kept arguing.

"How DARE you talk to me in that me in that manner? I RAISED you from a child! Taught you everything I know! You need to learn respect and humility, or you will never become Keeper!"

"Well, maybe I don't WANT to be the Keeper! Did you think of that? No! You were always so controlling. Sometimes I wished you had given me away at the first sign of magic!"

I rolled my eyes and huffed. Really, I had made her sarcastic and pithy, but this was bordering on recalcitrant teenager territory. Ellana was starting to spark, so I decided to actually intervene before it turned to blows. The struggle to stand on three feet made quite the racket, and as the archers' arrows followed me up, Ellana and Deshanna FINALLY stopped arguing. In fact, it was completely silent.

Everyone's attention was on me, and it was making my skin tingle most unpleasantly. I slowly hobbled closer to the two- wasn't more than a few steps, really- and laid back down, lowering my head between them. The Keeper took a few steps back, and I made eye contact with her. She was hiding her fear surprisingly well, but unfortunately I could still smell her. It was kind of annoying, actually. If I had wanted to attack, I would have already.

We stared at each other for what felt like eternity. I forced as much expression into my face as I could with my new set of muscles. They say eyes are the windows to the souls, and I wanted to throw those babies wide open. It took a while, but her fear started fading. She even got up the nerve to place her hand on my face. When I didn't react, Ellana looked ecstatic. Deshanna held up a hand and the archers all pointed their arrows downwards. I finally allowed myself to relax, closing my eyes.

"..She must have been domesticated at one point. " Deshanna muttered. She sounded fascinated, which I definitely didn't blame her for. Her entire demeanor seemed to soften as it sunk in that no, I wasn't going to kill her, and that I was in need of assistance. I opened one eye and looked at her- Mythal's marks were definitely suited for her, I decided as she looked me over. She was the Goddess of..like..peace or something, right? Or they thought she was? Either way, she was taking pity on me.

She turned to Ellana, who was smirking in a most unbecoming way. "..We'll continue this discussion later," Deshanna paused and turned to the hunters," For now, bring the Aravels. We may have elfroot for her." Jackpot! I'd always wanted to try elfroot. I'd probably need an entire field for it to work on me, though.

"Ellana, since you were so intent on helping her, I will let you pull the wood from her scales and feet. " I resented that she was treating it like a punishment, honestly. It wasn't going to be dangerous, except for splinters or involuntary twitching. Ellana looked elated, probably excited to climb all over me.

"You won't regret it, Keeper!"

"I'd better not. "

\------------------------------------------------

" Can I start with your foot? It's going to hurt the most and I'd rather get it done with now," Ellana asked, sitting on one of the logs that had escaped my pile. I made an affirmative sound and readjusted myself to give her better access to my foot by laying on my side, injured foot on top. I tried not to think about the fact it was broken, or fractured, or something. She winced as she looked it over. "Oh, this isn't going to be pleasant at all. In fact, I'm not sure if I can pull it out on my own.. "

I glanced at it, and agreed. There was no way she'd pull it out. So, I nudged her with my face until she was out of the way, and curled my upper body towards my foot. I guess dragons are more like very large cats in this universe, since I was able to do it with ease. I'm sure it looked absolutely ridiculous, but it honestly was terrifying. The splinter wasn't too big in proportion to the rest of me, but it was about the size of Ellana's leg, and pretty firmly in. Bracing myself, I took a deep breath, and grabbed the splinter with my teeth.

I won't go into detail about it except to say that, even as a dragon, I'm a giant wuss. I had to stop every few tugs to rest, and starting back up was harder each time. I only barely contained screams of pain- I definitely whimpered, though. Eventually it came out along with quite a bit of blood, which is where Ellana jumped in. She dumped the contents of a water skin over the wound to flush out any debris- there were surprisingly few splinters, most around the entrance and easy to dislodge. I was impressed. My wound was quickly packed with an elfroot mush and tied up, which I was ashamed to say took quite a bit of their linen and leather. I'd pay them back, somehow.

Turns out Deshanna was a talented healer, and she probed my foot with magic. It wasn't broken, just jammed, which was a relief. Since she couldn't do much else, she returned to the Aravels for... something. I wasn't sure what.

With most of my pain gone I was an extremely happy camper; however, there were still splinters and broken scales all over me. Ellana had learned to ask me only yes and no questions, and when I acquiesced to having the hunters help me out, started to rally them.

I could see why she was in line to be Keeper. She had charisma, leading and directing her fellow elves with grace and confidence. They crawled all over me, hesitant at first, but became emboldened by Ellana's encouragements and my docility. It felt rather like I'd imagine that fish foot bath would feel like, or maybe reverse acupuncture. Either way, I could imagine I was at a spa with how relaxed I felt.

It took quite a bit of time, but as the sun set, they were finally done. A fire had been started and the Aravels positioned around it. I was curled around the Aravels, head positioned right next to the fire. It felt heavenly, and I wondered if fire was my aspect. Ellana leaned on my neck along with a few particularly bold children, telling tales and singing songs. The fire flickered and danced, and suddenly something was held up to my nose. It was an entire roasted.....thing. Nug, maybe? I looked from it to Deshanna, who held it. She sort of waved it towards me, encouraging me to take it. I didn't really know how to without biting her hand off, so I stuck out my tongue instead. Holy shit, I had a long tongue. I wrapped it around the nug and pulled it into my mouth. It wasn't even a nibble, really, but I was chuffed at the gesture.

Once I was done she patted me on the nose and walked off towards her Aravel.

I wasn't sure how long we stayed there, but as the fire died down so did the activity until only Ellana and I were left. Eventually she grew tired and left as well, leaving me alone with the fire.

The camp was quite pleasant; it was just like camping with my friends, the soft snoring growing louder as the crackling of the fire diminished. It had been a long and stressful day, and the exhaustion caught up with me, the sounds of the camp lulling me to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do all my chapters end in sleep? I'm a very tired person.


	4. Days 4-18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again guys. So you might notice some inaccuracies, some changes. Well, turn and face the strange. (Ch-ch-changes)
> 
> Unbetad, written while waiting for a raster to classify. Pardon any errors/ weird formatting/ general stupidity. I'll fix it once I get home.
> 
> Thank you all for the reviews and kudos. I say this every time but I mean it. I love you all.

I woke the next morning to the sound of a campsite.  
My waking was slow and gentle this time, instead of pained and sudden. I felt pain, yes, but it was the pain that came from healing, the kind that said you'd be alright. As the elves began to stir around me, stoking the campfire and cooking food, I felt comfortable, at home. I debated going back to sleep, as I had yet to open my eyes- surely a few more minutes wouldn't hurt. The thought passed quickly as something large and bloody smelling was set right in front of my nose.

I opened my eyes to the sight of a hunk of meat, already stripped of leather and anything useful to the clan. The hunters had gone out and caught a fairly good sized goat, guessing I'd be hungry in the morning. I was touched, and decided then that no matter what happened, Clan Lavellan would be safe, even if I had to eat that stupid Duke to save them.

I wasn't hungry at the time- maybe dragons were similar to snakes in that they didn't need to eat every day?- so I nudged it back to the hunter who had dropped it off, but tried to appear as grateful as possible. He seemed confused, uncertain whether to grab the meat for the rest of the camp. Do it, I urged mentally. It'd just sit here otherwise.

I know, of course, that dragons aren't telepathic, but he seemed to respond to my thoughts. It was probably just a coincidence. It'd be pretty funny if I could speak to them though. Maybe once Ellana became Inquisitor I could be a dragon advisor. I'd have quite the time trying to fit into the war room.

That thought brought new anxiety. What if this... whatever this was turned out to not follow my play through of Inquisition? What if someone else was Inquisitor? What if Ellana DIED? I couldn't let that happen! I needed them to survive- not just for my own survival, but because I cared for them, as silly as that sounds.

I shook those thoughts away as I noticed Ellana approaching, a smile on her face. The camp was mostly packed up now, the halla tied to the Aravels, looking at me nervously. It was a testament to the clan's skill with animals that they hadn't bolted.

Ellana stopped about five feet away from my nose, keeping eye contact with me. She looked reluctant to speak, and I started to worry.

"So....We're going somewhere, and I can't take you." OH. Just this? Ok. I almost laughed in relief- I thought she was going to have to send me away, or like...give me a chance to run before the others killed me, or something. No, this I could deal with. I imagined that a dragon showing up at the Conclave would be a little bit frightening.  
"But! We'll be coming back this way"-oh honey, I thought sadly- "And I was wondering if you'd stay here so we can...meet up again? Of course, that's only if you want to. If you want to go do dragon things, that is ok, too. "  
She was babbling, so I snorted to interrupt her. She stared at me, but I didn't really know how to tell her that YES, there was literally no way they could keep me away from them (unless they didn't want me near them, in which case I would respect their decision but feel really terrible about it).  
So, I finally decided on a response, and nodded. It was a half-assed nod, just a brief lift of my head of the ground, but she seemed to understand. Unfortunately, the knowledge I could understand her was jarring. Her eyes widened and she stepped back a bit.

"Oh Mythal.. So.. you CAN understand me? " I nodded again.  
"But...Does that mean all dragons can understand?" I did something similar to a shrug.  
"Are you just responding to the tone of my voice? Like a halla?" I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head.  
"Ok, ok, I get it. Creators.. A dragon that can speak Common. Or at least seems to. " She rubbed at her face with both hands. "It is far too early in the morning to be thinking about this. "  
I huffed empathetically. We sat there for a while, contemplating the craziness of the world, before she finally gathered herself.  
" Well... It looks like they're about ready to be off. Uh...Remember my offer. We'll be back, if everything goes well. Dareth shiral." I nodded in response and she walked away, steps stilted, shoulders tight.

The rest of the clan came to say goodbye, with a few of the braver children patting me on the nose, before leaving.

I hoped they survived. I really did.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

The two weeks I spent waiting were absolute torture. I didn't move much, choosing to try to coast off my remaining energy as long as possible before the clan got back. No one came to bother me, surprisingly- I hadn't seen any towns around during my depressingly short flight, but I was sure this was near someone's abode.

I practiced using my claws to carve out letters in the ground- it took a few days of constant writing to make them legible, but they were absolutely massive. Normal sized people probably would have one hell of a time reading them.

On about the third day I considered moving to Skyhold very briefly before remembering that I didn't know the way, and also that Ellana would need my help at Haven. There was no way I was just going to let her fight through that storm alone. 

On the fourth day I saw the flash of green and a muffled explosion. I can't really explain what it was like- a clap of distant thunder, the kind produced by lightning that you know hit a house, was the closest I could describe it as. Beautiful, in a terrifying, humbling way.

The days sort of blurred into a stream of worry-panic-sleep after that. I moved occasionally, testing my injuries to make sure they were healed, walking around the clearing, but spent most of my time basking in the sun and wondering if Ellana-and her clan- had survived. I didn't even know if the clan actually went to the Conclave in game- I guessed not, since they're a big quest line. Then I started to wonder if my presence had changed things- if they all went and subsequently all died, if Ellana wasn't the Herald.

These negative thoughts plagued me daily, leading me deeper and deeper into a depression, until one day, miraculously, the first Aravel arrived.

\----------------------------------------------

Deshanna seemed surprised I was still here, or maybe she was surprised to be greeted so enthusiastically. I almost felt like a dog, tail whipping back and forth in my excitement. I probably would have ran up to see her if I wasn't so intimidatingly large. As it were, I just waited til she approached, nerves alight with happiness. I felt tingly, it was pretty great.

To my delight, all the Aravels were intact and full of people. Less delightful was the fact that Ellana wasn't with them. I knew it would happen, that she wouldn't come back, but my heart still hurt. Right now, she could be alive and assumed to be the Herald of Andraste, responsibility piled on her, or she could be dead. Neither option sounded pleasant.

I looked up as Deshanna approached- she looked worried, but not sad, which was a good sign in my opinion. She stopped a good distance from my face and motioned for the rest of the clan to set up camp as she gathered her thoughts. I tensed up, anticipating bad news.

"Ellana is alive." Oh thank fuck. I deflated almost instantly, breathing a sigh of relief. Deshanna looked at me strangely, but I didn't care. Ellana was alive. "Ellana said you understand.. I didn't believe her at first, but... perhaps she is right. "

I tilted my head slightly, an invitation to come near, explain more. This seemed to do the trick and she started explaining what had happened- they had watched from the woods near Haven, heard the explosion, and sent a hunter in to infiltrate, to see if she was ok. She was being lauded as the Herald of Andraste, but had been treated badly at first- all things I knew, of course, but it was wonderful, hearing them again. Not that I liked the idea of her suffering, of course- more that I liked the idea she was still alive. Deshanna had stopped talking and was watching me now instead.

"She told me you understand yes or no questions..Is this true?"

I nodded in reply.

"Then you understood what I told you?"

I nodded again.

"Ellana... She managed to get a note out to us. She wants us to come to Haven... and to bring you. Do you want to go?"

I nodded emphatically this time, and Deshanna smiled.

"She hoped you would. I will send her a raven, then, confirming our decision. I hope she has a plan to keep the humans calm." I huffed a laugh at that. Unlikely, but she'd do it anyway. They'd just have to deal.


	5. Days 19-?????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support!! It's been like Christmas, waking up each morning to new kudos and comments. I'm super appreciative of every single one of you readers, commenters, and kudosers. 
> 
> I'll be honest, I was kinda wary of writing first person, because I felt it can be really bad if done wrong, but either you guys really like bad fanfiction or I'm doing something right! Either way, it's a win win!

Look, let's be real-ish.

You and I both know that The Gang thought Ellana was out of her Andraste Blessed Gourd. They wouldn't say it to her face, but they were definitely thinking it. They'd probably call it something nice, like "touched", but they'd be watching her to make sure she didn't disgrace the Inquisition. Or kill someone she wasn't supposed to. Maybe they were humoring her? I was pretty sure they would be more careful. Leliana certainly would. Had Ellana even told them? Oh God, what if they killed me because she didn't tell them?

I paused from my ridiculously slow walk behind the caravan. I had to be behind them, so the halla didn't freak out, and it seemed like I took one step every minute. It was honestly frustrating. If I weren't so concerned about getting killed I'd just go ahead without them, meet them there, anything to alleviate the boredom. After the caravan got a little bit ahead I let myself take another step. Thankfully we were out of the woods- it was getting annoying, dodging branches. It'd take longer for us to get to Haven, though, since we had to choose a path that wasn't as direct. Because, you know. We don't want to scare people to death.

I firmly ignored the fact that I could fly. The thought of flying, previously exciting, now left a lump in my stomach. No flying for me. No sir. All four legs on the ground this time. 

Deshanna seemed to be picking up on my mood somehow. Bless that lady. I'll eat all her enemies. She glanced back at me and stopped the caravan with a lifted hand, walking back towards me. The others took the chance for a rest, which I definitely didn't begrudge them. We were walking uphill, after all.

The Keeper stopped in front of me, concern on her face. At least, I'm pretty sure it was concern, with the context clues and all. Faces aren't really my strong point. We couldn't communicate in any way except yes or no questions yet, but she still took the time to check in on me. I reassured her nothing was wrong- my wounds were healing, and while the regrowing scales were a bit itchy, I was mostly just... bored. I wanted to just grab the caravan reins and pull them along. They could just...hold on to my tail or something.

Once she was convinced I was absolutely fine she returned to the front of the line, and the caravan started up again. I let them get a fair distance ahead, giving myself the chance to stretch my legs out and practice some vowels. At this point I was like ninety-nine percent certain I had the wrong anatomy for it, but maybe I was like a parrot lizard. It was kind of hard to tell without looking at my own vocal cords and such. Honestly, I'm not even sure what to look for in that regard. Throats are so complicated.

I stopped with the vowels cause I was getting some weird looks from the hunters in the back, and proceeded to navel gaze. (Did I have a bellybutton? Probably not, being a lizard and all.)

With all this time to think and no pain to distract me, it was pretty easy, if a bit depressing. Mostly, my thoughts ran towards the "I'm in a coma, how do I wake up, what if I never wake up", you know, same old same old. Occasionally they veered towards the much more depressing (and, something told me, far more likely) "This is my life now, I'm definitely awake and an actual dragon and I'll never see my friends or family ever again." That wasn't a pleasant train of thought, but it was certainly a mystery, and I wanted to figure it out. 

THEN there was the thought of what I could do for the Inquisition. Being a BFD- a big fuckin dragon, natch- I could obviously do some bad guy stomping, but what I really wanted to do I couldn't as a giant dragon. Conservation work might be difficult if the animals were all running away from me. Also this world hadn't gotten to the point where restoration was needed anyway. Maybe I’d claim back the Dales for the Elvhen. I’m sure it’d be hard to argue with a giant lizard who wants your land and could squash you if you don’t give it. 

I wanted so badly to vocalize my thoughts. That was the best way to gather your thoughts, in my opinion. My mom often said "How do I know what I think until I see what I say?", which was probably a quote from someone else, but it wasn't like she cited her source every time she quoted. That'd be a bit silly. Either way, it was a pretty fitting quote for my situation.

I was definitely frustrated- I wish I had a spirit. Cole would be great to help me communicate. Like a Seeing eye dog, but sentient and able to read my mind. Speaking Mind Spirit.

That reminded me, I needed to figure out how I would deal with this whole situation. I'd let them see I'm sentient, of course, and Cole would be willing to help, but that wouldn't happen until Haven burnt (I hoped Ellana would go with the mages, of course, because honestly they need the help.). I needed to figure something else out in the mean time. I couldn't practice my writing anymore, being on the road and everything. Maybe I could teach them sign language? That would require some level of prior communication though. Or I could just point at stuff and then sign it. My claws might not be as dexterous, though.

I shook myself out of my thoughts- it was getting dark, and they were making camp. We had made fair progress, for not walking as quickly as I'd like- my little forest was out of sight now. I missed it, honestly. Maybe someone would use the wood and make a village there. I could check it out later. For now, I'd keep watch over the clan. Let them all rest, and all that.

LINE BREAK

It was an uneventful night. Nothing wanted to mess with a dragon, unsurprisingly. The rest of the clan woke up early, had their breakfast, packed up, and off we went. Deshanna had given a little speech at the beginning of the trip- not too much longer, she said, maybe a few days. Being accustomed to cars and planes this was absolutely the WORST thing I'd heard, and I spent my time fantasizing, mostly. We walked, and walked, and walked. It wasn't a really good story, honestly, besides the time Killjoy (I still didn't know his name) tripped over his own foot and fell. Haha, Killjoy.

 

Eventually it became impossible to ignore the road if we wanted to get to Haven. Pretty sound strategically, only having one road in or out. Annoying if you were a Dalish caravan with a giant lizard following you. So, anyway, along the road we went. It was a nice, even road, as far as roads go. No comparison to roads back home, but I was pretty certain they didn’t invent asphalt yet and couldn’t really blame them for the infrastructure, or lack thereof. 

One bad thing about the road and its even terrain was the blanket of snow we had to trudge through. It wasn’t too bad for me, didn’t even go up to my toes, but a few times the clan had trouble with their aravels. Only took a nudge to get them back on their feet. Pretty handy.

At one point, we passed a lake. This was probably the most exciting portion of the trip, honestly, since I got to see myself. I’m not vain or anything, but it’s not like there were many reflective surfaces otherwise. Upon seeing my reflection in the placid lake, I began to wonder about the clan’s collective sanity, because holy CRAP I was intimidating. The purple of a high dragon, with gold, piercing eyes and an intimidatingly curved maw that looked just right for ripping into flesh. I looked a bit like an unholy mix between a horse and a lammergeier, which honestly I thought was cool at the same time my primate brain was shouting for a swift retreat.   
I examined myself a little more- I was extremely bony, I noted with displeasure. Not friendly and welcoming at all. Probably won’t help me not get murdered by the gang. I guess the closest comparison would be the Thestrals in Harry Potter. Again I wondered exactly why Ellana hadn’t absolutely flipped her shit and started tossing spells at me. I certainly would have, if I were in her shoes. 

A whistle from Deshanna told me vanity time was over, so I snagged a drink of the lake water, thankfully fish free, and waited patiently for them to get ahead so I could continue my slow plod.

LINE BREAK

Finally, FINALLY we reached Haven. We stopped quite a bit out- maybe 500 meters? I’m not sure, being in this body has made distance measuring hard- and I watched as Deshanna headed for the gates. I laid down in the snow, behind a rock mostly as a formality- I was pretty certain scouts had spotted me quite a while back, but I wanted to be as unintimidating as possible so Cassandra didn’t stab me multiple times. The time seemed to drag on (HA!) as I waited, occasionally peeking my head over the boulder I was nestled behind. 

I couldn’t tell you how much time had passed between each peek, but finally, there was the payoff! I spotted, with my keen dragon eyes, an entourage leaving the gates. It appeared that she hadn’t collected anyone besides Cassandra, Solas and Varric, which was absolutely fine with me. If I could get in with them, I’d have no problems. Except for Vivienne. The thought of her terrifies me. At least I’m not an albino wyvern. 

I twiddled my metaphorical thumbs for a while, watching as they grew closer and closer. Soon it got to the point where I could hear their footsteps crunching, chainmail clinking, and Varric’s pithy remarks. Unsurprisingly, all of them had their weapons out. It was kind of flattering that they thought I could even do anything to them. I don’t think squishing is much of a deterrent when someone can make barriers. 

I could hear their conversation as they approached. The first voice that drifted to my ears was Ellana’s, high and excited as she talked about our encounter. 

“....And she looked straight at me and didn’t kill me! She could have easily, she’s a high dragon. I think she understands Common! Or at least tone of voice! She can respond to yes or no questions. I think she might have been a pet at some point.”

“Herald….I’m not certain about this. “  
“Cassandra, relax! She travelled with the clan for almost two weeks and no one was eaten! I think she’s safe.”  
“You think, but you don’t know. She’s a wild animal, a dragon!”  
“You’ll see.”

There was silence for a few steps, then Solas spoke.   
“I have seen spirits take similar shapes, though this was before the fall of Arlathan, and I have not seen it since. I cannot imagine she has true sentience, though it would be most interesting if she did. “

“Hey, d’you think she’d let me interview her? I could write a whole new book. “

I smiled at that. The shit I could tell him, if only I could speak. 

Their banter grew quiet as they approached- I could smell nerves on all of them. Ellana approached as the others readied their attacks, holding a hand up to me. Not the hand with the Mark, I noted. 

“Hello...Remember me?” She stuck her hand out flat, like I was a horse instead of a highly deadly reptile. I guessed I’d have to act like one so Cassandra didn’t stab me, so I tuned in to all the horse movies I’d seen as a child that haunt me to this day, and very delicately sniffed it. I could smell ozone and metal- she’d recently casted a lightning spell, I guessed.

Cautious of the others watching, I gave her a friendly nudge and pulled my head back to the rock I had had it resting on. 

“...Well, I’ll be damned.” Breathed Varric, lowering Bianca and stepping forward. I afforded him the same greeting. Solas followed, then Cassandra, though neither lowered their guards. I was certain Varric hadn’t either- it doesn’t take much to get that crossbow ready, after all. 

They tensed as Ellana suddenly moved towards me. I’ll admit, I flinched, too. Sudden movements aren’t my jam. She soon soothed away any anxiety I had with a surprisingly pleasant snout rub, up along the bridge of my skull, between my eyes, and back down again. I felt my eyes closing, barely noticing as the others approached. None of them touched me, which I was perfectly fine with, but I could feel Solas staring at me as Cassandra, Varric and Ellana argued about logistics. 

I opened one gold eye to look at him- he held eye contact, steady, everything I’d expect of a multi thousand year old commander. Curiosity burned in his blue eyes, and he lowered his voice to speak to me. 

I couldn’t write down exactly what he said- there were a lot of apostrophes involved, and a lilting, lyrical language lost to time. The weirdest part was I understood everything. Plus one to the coma theory, I guessed. It wasn’t a difficult phrase, just the standard “Can you understand me?”, but as I responded with a nod, he straightened up, his entire demeanour changed. I was sorta glad I couldn’t speak so I didn’t burst his bubble. Sorry dude, actually a human, not a spirit. I couldn’t tell whether he was pleased or not as his eyes narrowed, looking me over. 

I wasn’t subjected to the full weight of his stare, not just yet, but I could almost hear the questions he desperately wanted to ask, the sharp, analytical mind that had earned him the title Fen’Harel turning over possibilities in his head. 

“Herald,” he started, pausing as Ellana corrected him that her name was Ellana, not Herald, thank you very much.   
“Ellana. I cannot discern exactly what she is, but if I may offer my humble opinion… If she is amenable, perhaps you shall ride into battle on a dragon instead of a griffon.”

Ellana seemed extremely pleased by this idea, and looked at Cassandra, her hip cocked, with hands resting on her hips as if to say “See? It’s a great idea!”

Cassandra made the trademarked disgusted grunt- pleasure to hear in real ish life, by the way- and muttered, “On your own head be it. We still must discuss this with Leliana and Cullen. “

“Well, Red, it looks like you’ve got yourself a dragon!” Varric clapped her on the back as she started walking back down the path towards Haven. “Maybe she should stay out here. We don’t want the entire town to panic, and I’ll be honest, I don’t think she’ll fit in the front gate.”

Ellana looked as if she hadn’t even considered that as she paused, but agreed, vowing to build me a shelter just outside the walls to shield me from the snow. Even if it weren’t totally necessary, I appreciated the thought. 

They started off back to Haven, Solas making meaningful eye contact with me one last time before departing. I wondered how no one could suspect he was anything other than what he claimed to be. Hindsight is 20/20, I supposed, burrowing into the snow- but with my hindsight now foresight, could I do anything to warn them, to stop him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to see what MC looks like? Yes? Of course you do!!
> 
>  
> 
> Visit the link below to see what my bff drew up for me. MC is absolutely terrifying...And unnamed. I should get around to that, lol. 
> 
> (Sorry it's not hyperlinkeed, I'll take care of that when I'm not on mobile.)
> 
> http://polarbaroness.tumblr.com/post/163972000241/mc-from-year-of-the-dragon-drawn-by-the
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	6. Haven, Day ???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet and greet time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! So, life's been crazy,but I never promised stable updates, so there. Have a decently sized chapter.
> 
> I got a new laptop, so that's nice. You might be seeing more of me.

The next morning,right at the asscrack of dawn, they lured me into Haven. I still wasn’t sure how- they don’t make dragon sized coffees, and being a cold blooded lizard wreaks havoc on your metabolism, so much of the morning was a blur. There was some shouting by Roderick, equally loud shouting by Cassandra, exasperated shouting by Ellana, and Varric running a betting ring on who would bend first. Odds were on Roderick, of course. Very few people could be yelled at by  Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast and not wet their pants, so it wasn’t like I was blaming him. 

 

I glanced around at the houses surrounding the very public square Cassandra had chosen for her early morning screaming match. People were staring right back, faces pressed against shitty glass windows (if they had any at all), watching the hubbub. I couldn’t blame them- it’s not every day a Seeker, a Chancellor, and who may be your savior scream in the middle of the street. No one wanted to leave their houses and risk the wrath of any of us (even though I, as I may have mentioned before, was absolutely exhausted and in no state to go ravaging villagers and whatnot), giving the impression of one of those old Western showdowns. I’m sure if this was a tumbleweed’s native habitat, it would have found its way over to roll across the street. 

 

It seemed like a few hours, but Roderick finally bent. His face red, his chest heaving, voice hoarse from shouting, he warned Cassandra and Ellana that if “That damned dragon turns savage and eats everyone, on your heads be it!!” and stomped away with an admirably dramatic flourish of the robes.  At that point people began to emerge, carefully skirting around my tired ass to get started on their daily routines. Ellana and Cassandra absconded to the war room without dismissing me, leaving me in the middle of the square, just...dealing with people staring. At one point a child threw a rock at me. It sucked. Another kid broke out of his mother’s grip and patted me on the face, which was nice, if a little sticky. I was certain he’d get his ass whooped by his mom, because corporal punishment was a foolproof method of behavior control. I hoped he wouldn’t, he seemed like a nice kid. Curiosity shouldn’t be punished. 

 

I spent most of the day people watching, unmoving in the street. People got closer and closer to my motionless body as they became bolder, and I wasn’t about to move and scare them off. The less scared they were of me, the better chance I’d have of surviving (and saving their lives when Haven falls, but that’s in the future). I was starting to cramp up a bit, admittedly, but I was determined to seem as harmless as possible to these people. It was working- teenagers were daring each other to run up and touch my wings, old ladies were gossiping, glancing at me, wondering if this was a sign. Someone even offered me a nug. I was chewing on it as Cassandra and Ellana finally emerged, looking exhausted but triumphant. I couldn’t wait to hear the news, and Ellana couldn’t wait to tell it- as soon as she saw me still lying there, she ran over, info dumping in what seemed like one breath.

 

So, they’ve finally figured out a name for me. Took them long enough, right? After (most of) the people figured out I wasn’t there to eat them all, and Cassandra went on her whole “Obviously the Herald was chosen by the Maker if a savage dragon became tame around her” (which,rude), they wanted to name me. The first choice was like those ridiculous Protestant names from back home. “By the Maker’s Grace we Will be Led to Victory”, to be exact. An entire chant was posited as my name, but THANKFULLY Ellana had some sense and named me “Syl’Dur’Ashath” instead. Still an absolute mouthful, but better than the alternative. Oddly enough, I was able to translate it- it meant roughly “Wind under her Wing”, which was ironic because they were never getting me in the air again. Not even if they loaded me into a catapult. Although, if they managed to make a catapult that big, I’d probably have to try it just on principle.

Speaking of catapults (how’s that for a segue?),  I had yet to meet a few key members of the inquisition. Namely Cullen, Josie, and Leliana. It made sense, since they were often in the war room doing whatever it was they did, but I admit, I was a bit sad they hadn’t come out to meet me. I had the biggest crush on Josie in game, and romanced Leliana in Origins. I have a bit of a thing for competent ladies, if you couldn’t tell. I wasn’t sure about Cullen, being strictly on the side of the Mages myself. He had turned over a new leaf, I knew, and was even quitting Lyrium, but I was nervous about how we would interact, being a giant dragon and all. I was pretty certain he wouldn’t stab me, but I don’t think I could be blamed for wanting to stay behind Ellana the whole time, just in case. She wanted me to meet them, today, right now preferably. I wondered if she was actually powered by the Anchor- she never seemed to be tired.

 

I wasn’t too jazzed to meet them, to be honest. The smell of Haven overrode any sort of excitement I might have experienced. It was tolerable for the first thirty minutes, but after that, it got really bad. The unwashed masses, combined with their absolutely disgusting sewage solution (put everything in a hole and ignore it) created a stench that no amount of sty mucking could prepare me for. Add that to a dragon’s ridiculously sensitive nose, and you had a recipe for a terrible time. Outside Haven I could at least smell some trees through the miasma, like sticking a pine air freshener over a dumpster. I was getting a bit of a headache from all the stimuli. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell them that in a language they’d understand, so I just had to grin and bear it. 

 

It started off well enough, I suppose. Ellana introduced them all quite broadly, then asked them to each spend a little one on one time with me to “familiarize me with their scents”. Josie was her same old diplomatic self. I wouldn’t have been able to tell something was amiss if I didn’t have a nose like a bloodhound. I didn’t want her to be scared of me- honestly, it hurt a little that she was. In my wildest dreams, if I ever met her, I would have immediately swept her off her feet with my smooth mannerisms.  As it was, she looked about to faint, but not from sheer joy. I let go of a breath I hadn’t known I was holding when she turned and scurried back to the Chantry, just as relieved the interaction was done with as she was. Turns out the whole “being nervous around a horse makes the horse nervous” thing works with dragons, too.

 

Next was Leliana. She didn’t smell nervous. She didn’t smell like much of anything besides human, bird smell, and ink. No pheromones, nothing. Somehow she made me even more nervous than Josie had. She had an appraising gleam in her eye as she looked me over, cataloguing every spine, every claw, every tooth. I was a tool, a weapon to be used for the organization. To be fair, I think she would have been a bit less obvious about it were she aware I was sentient. I shifted my body slightly away from her and she seemed to take it as a sign, patting me on the nose and walking away. 

 

Cullen… Cullen didn’t want to be here, and I empathized IMMENSELY. He smelled sour, like vomit and malaise and withdrawal. My nose wrinkled instinctively to try and stop the smell from coming in, but it just about permeated the air around me. He looked to Ellana with a face that, while it didn’t outwardly show he thought she was insane, heavily implied it. I was almost offended on Ellana’s behalf, but she just laughed it off and told him to go get some rest, figure out how to incorporate me into the tactics. Like hell I was fighting with a bunch of soldiers, I thought. I’d much rather stay with Ellana.

  
  


Finally, meet and greet time was over. The civilians had all returned to their abodes for the night, racing the setting sun. Ellana and I moved swiftly out of the town, trying to beat the cold for both of us.Snow would fall overnight, I was certain of it. I wasn’t looking forward to it too much, being that I had to sleep in it, but I would deal. I wished I had a nice, cozy cave to curl up in, but my little nest behind the rocks would be sufficient. Ellana patted me on the leg, moving to face me. She looked at me for a little bit before smiling and rubbing my nose. 

We sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the sunset, before she spoke.

“It’s over now, you did well.” 

I glanced over at her in response, snorting slightly. 

“What? You did! I was kinda nervous about introducing you, especially to Cullen- he thought you might have been a demon-, but everyone was very well behaved.” She sighed, rubbing her arms against a sudden cold breeze. 

“It’s getting cold… I think it’s about time to head in. Will you be ok out here?”

I looked down at myself, then to the town, then back to her, and she laughed. “Ok, ok, point taken. I wish we at least had some blankets for you. If you were smaller, we could stick you in the forge!” 

The forge sounded nice, I thought. I was fairly certain I wasn’t a fire breather, so I probably couldn’t help with keeping the fire alive, but being warm sounded excellent. Cold was a bit different, a bit more daunting, when you couldn’t go inside to escape from it. Being cold-blooded probably didn’t help, either. I was already feeling sluggish, and I think Ellana noticed. 

She said her goodbyes, walking back towards Haven as I curled up into my nest. Eventually, I’d go hunting, put my night vision to good use. Right now the combination of the cold and social exhaustion absolutely wrecked me, forcing my eyes closed as I wondered what I’d experience tomorrow.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit me at polarbaroness.tumblr.com for the hottest memes.


	7. The Big, Bad Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm not dead. Updates will never not be sporadic because I have a full time exhausting job and no work ethic for things I do in my spare time. 
> 
>  
> 
> Solas text is supposed to be in italics but I guess it makes sense it's not, since I copy pasted from drive instead of importing it. Imagine he's speaking Elvhen and being very snobby.
> 
> Also my drink dispenser dispensed drink all over the inside of my fridge and onto my hardwood floor, so I have to figure out how to clean that. Unfortunately it wasn't just water this time. Anyway, enjoy!

Yknow how all the mighty dragons have hoards? I've decided I'm going to, too. I'm gonna hoard the Tranquil. I can't advocate for them, having no vocal cords or other means of communication besides eating dissenters, so I might as well protect them. I want to figure out a way to reverse the Tranquility- I know all about the spirits thing, but once again it's hard to communicate that. 

There was the one Tranquil, mentioned in the wiki, who could talk to dragons before her Tranquility.. I don't remember her name, or if she dies in the fall of Haven, but she'd be my best bet. I hope talking to dragons doesn't require magic, but realistically, the chances are slim. 

I wonder how I can convince Ellana to call as many Tranquil in as possible? I'm going to try as hard as I can to influence her to collect the mages, of course, but there are so many hurdles to jump I can't even imagine how. There's no way she wouldn't choose the mages, being a mage herself, but one can never be too careful.  
Maybe I'll just eat the Templars. I was pretty iron deficient back home.

 

No matter what I do, I don't need to worry about getting Leliana’d, being a giant dragon. I doubt she could pull my nails out or whatever it is they use to torture around here. She'd just kill me, which would obviously suck, but I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, so there's a silver lining. 

Anyway, I dreamed last night. I haven't dreamed in a while, it's nice to know I still can. This dream felt more like a memory,though. It was like being in a sensory deprivation tank- one of the fancy ones rich people use that advertises complete relaxation. This one certainly delivered; I remember feeling utterly at peace, until something broke it open and I woke up to the cold of Haven. 

It was the most relaxed I've been since I woke up in that forest. 

It got me thinking, though- could I access the Fade? There are so many variables to consider with that, it's hard to tell. If I could access the Fade, I know Solas would track me down eventually, which is a terrifying prospect. 

I really don't want anything to do with him. If he knew I know what I know he knows, I could be in big trouble. 

Maybe I should just eat him now, while he's still weak. A wolf is nothing but a snack to a dragon, after all. 

If I did that, though, Ellana would be consumed by her mark. I couldn't live with myself if I killed her, even inadvertently. 

I looked up as the sound of crunching snow broke me out of my thoughts. Think of the devil and he appears, I guess. I didn't have enough energy to lift my head up, so I snorted a greeting as Solas approached. Bad idea in hindsight, as it kicked snow up into my eyes, but whatever, no way was I gonna show weakness in front of him. 

He greeted me in Elvhen, which by the way still freaked me out to know. I wonder if all dragons understand Elvhen, or if it's some sort of result of my appearance here. 

“ Times have changed for you, I suspect. I haven't seen one of your kind in many years. “

I blinked once in response, which I guess he just took as an invitation to continue speaking.

“The Evanuris are gone, along with most of my people. The Fade, separated by the Veil. Above this town is a tear in the Veil called the Breach, which is pulling spirits through, corrupting them into demons. “  
It was unfortunate to remember there is no “x to skip” in real life, so I had to pretend to be attentive.  
“Ellana, the one who fights for you, is the only one who can close it, due to the Anchor on her hand.. However, I fear it is unstable.” Here, he turned away, presumably to stare into the distance.  
“I can subdue its effects temporarily, but eventually it will kill her. I cannot remove it from her yet. I don't have the power.

You are close, are you not? As close as you can be, when she does not understand you.

If we work together, we can save her.” 

Maybe it's because I know he's a lying liar face, but I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. He's right, the Mark will kill her eventually, and I do want to save her, but there's no way this is him being magnanimous. He wants it for himself. 

I'm guessing he wants my power. Joke's on him, I don't even know what it is, how to share it. 

I also don't know what would happen if he got the Mark back so soon. I can't imagine it would be good. 

Fuck.

I need a way to stall for time. I need to push back his plans, make my own, save the world. Hell, maybe I can bring down the Veil without killing millions of people. Maybe I can find a solution.

With no other options, I nod. I'll work with him, for now. I'll play the part of some ancient, powerful dragon.

Most importantly, I promise myself as he turns and walks away, I'll protect Ellana.

**Author's Note:**

> -slam dunks this into the dragon age tag- hell yeah


End file.
